A
Father’s TaleA
Father’s Taleafter a story line idea by Nesciri
Disclaimer: The characters of The Young Riders were created for television by Ed Spielman. The series aired on ABC TELEVISION from 1989 - 1992.
After setting up camp, the three men headed back into Sweetwater and one last
night spent on a soft bed. They ate at the hotel and then headed to the saloon.
"You say you think you seen this boy those men was talkin' about?"
asked Cutler.
"Yeah," said Wilson. "Yesterday, he went riding by us while
we was waitin' for you."
"Did either of you catch a name this mornin'?" quizzed Cutler.
"Buck," said Jasper.
"Good. Let's review our information and see if we can come up with a workable
story," said Cutler.
"He's half-Kiowa, father's white, has a half-brother that's important
to Kiowa, been told mother was taken against her wishes, been to a mission school
somewhere nearby, feels quilt easily, been away from village a few years, trying
to fit in. Anything else?"
"Nope," said Wilson.
"How 'bout if one of us pretends to be his father. The man said his father
had acted as a friend to the Kiowa. We could say that he didn't force her. They
was in love, . . . " mused Jasper.
"Yeah, yeah," interrupted Cutler. "They was in love, but her
people stopped 'em from running off together. To protect themselves she told
'em she was raped."
"Protect themselves from who, and why?" asked Wilson.
Jasper explained, "The Kiowa. They don't take kindly to their women cheatin'
on her husband. They also punish the man she cheats with. If they was about
to get caught, and the man runned off she could of said she was attacked to
keep from getting punished."
"Didn't know you was such an Injun expert, Jasper," said Cutler.
"Ain't. Just spent a few months with the Kiowas once. Got hurt huntin'
bear. They was kind enough to allow me to mend. Learned some stuff while I was
there,"replied Jasper.
"That's good," said Cutler. "That way you can keep us from making
any big mistakes."
"What exactly are we doing?" asked Wilson.
"Yeah?" said Jasper.
"First we're gonna learn all we can about this here half-breed, Buck was
it? Then I'm gonna go get him and pretend to be his long lost father finally
tracked him down. We get him to join up with us and then he goes and gets our
gold.
"Jasper, you head back to that mission school we passed by on our way
here. See if they know anything about the boy. If that's the school he was at,
find out all you can. You know, Injun name, history, friends, etc."
"Want me to leave now?" asked Jasper.
"Naw, wait 'til mornin'. You and me will ride out like we's goin' to camp.
Wilson, you stay here 'til 'round noon and see what you can learn about him.
don't draw attention. You know how to do this, just like you do when you get
them bankers to tell you all kinds of stuff they shouldn't."
"Sure, Boss," said Wilson. "Think I'll start with that shopkeeper.
He'll probably have plenty to say."
"Okay. It should take Jasper about 1/2 day to get to that school and 'nother 1/2 day back. So, day after tomorrow 'round noon looks like I'm gonna have me a son," laughed Cutler. "Congratulate me boys, I'm a new Pa."
Buck was a bit nervous as he rode over to the Jenkins' place. Ike had offered
to come along, but Buck had turned him down. He needed to do this on his own,
and he wasn't sure how things would go. He didn't want to get reprimanded in
front of his friend if he could avoid it.
As he rode up he sensed something was wrong. Then he noticed Mrs. Jenkins trying to move some uncooperative stock into the barn. He quickly dismounted,
"Can I help?" he asked.
Abigail Jenkins jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. She glanced quickly
at him and then back to her stubborn charge. "Yes, please. Elias wants
these animals inside the barn before that storm gets here. I just can't get
them to budge, and he can't help on account of his busted arm."
Buck walked over to where Mrs. Jenkins was straining on a rope trying to get
a mule to move from the corral to the barn. "Here," said Buck handing
her the starter bread from Emma and gently taking the rope from her. "Allow
me." Buck slacked up on the rope and slowly walked over to the mule. He
gently stroked its neck and talked softly to it. Shortly, the mule was walking
easily into the barn and its waiting stall.
"What others do you need put inside?" he asked.
"The milk cow and her calf," replied a pleasantly surprised Mrs.
Jenkins.
Buck quickly got the animals inside the barn. He checked the sky. "Do
you mind if I put my horse inside and wait this out here? I'll stay out in the
barn if you want."
"Nonsense," replied Mrs. Jenkins. "You'll come up to the house
and wait inside. Wonder if we should close that upstairs door to the hay loft."
Buck glanced up. There was a bale of hay hanging outside the open double doors
to the loft. If the wind kept up when the rain started, everything in the barn
was liable to get soaked. "I'll take care of it after I tend to my horse.
Do you want me to drop the hay, or pull it back inside?"
"Don't rightly know. Let me check with Elias."
She quickly went inside the house. Buck headed into the barn where he was soon
joined by an elderly man nursing an injured right arm. "You think you could
pull it back inside? I'd appreciate being able to keep it dry until we needed
it."
Buck answered, "I'll try." He unsaddled his horse, found it some water, and threw a stray blanket over it's back. Then he climbed to the loft and went to check on the hay hanging outside. Buck easily located the pole used to grab the hook on which the hay was hanging. He grabbed the hay with the hook and started to pull it in. Just before he had it in the doors a strong wind blew the bale away from the barn. Buck was taken by surprise and pulled out of the doors. He hung onto the pole and willed the wind to stop. When it did, the bale swung back towards the barn. It slammed Buck into the side of the barn next to the open doors. He managed to grab hold of the door with his left hand while he held onto the pole with his right. He pulled himself into the loft just as Mrs. Jenkins reached the door.
She grabbed the pole and together they swung the hay into the opening and closed
the doors.
"Are you okay?" Mrs. Jenkins asked.
"I'm not sure," replied Buck. "I think I may have hurt my arm.
I'm having trouble feeling my fingers."
"Let's get you to the house. Soon as this storm blows over I'll get you
to Doc's office in town."
"That won't be necessary," said Buck. "I'll just go back to
Emma's and she can most likely fix me up fine."
"We'll see how you feel after a while," said Mrs. Jenkins. "That
was a pretty good bang."
The two of them left the barn and headed to the house. When they entered, Elias
Jenkins said, "You both okay? I tell you what, Boy, I haven't seen my Abigail
move that fast in ages. Don't think she covered the ground from the house to
the barn that quickly when I banged up my arm. You must be mighty special to
get her moving that quickly."
Abigail Jenkins blushed and said, "Oh hush now, Elias."
Buck smiled at the way the elderly couple teased with each other. "I'm
sorry to scare you," he said.
"Nonsense," said Abigail. "You need to quit apologizing for
things that ain't your fault. Now let's have a look at you."
She quickly looked Buck over. She cleaned up a small cut over his left eye
and checked his left arm. She wasn't pleased with what she discovered. "Elias,"
she called. "Come here and look. I think he might of dislocated it."
Buck flinched when she touched his shoulder.
Elias Jenkins came and helped Abigail get Buck's coat, vest, and shirt off.
The pain each time they moved his arm was intense. "Sorry, Son," said
Elias. "I think maybe Abigail should cut this last shirt off. It'll be
easier on you. I can replace it with one of mine."
Buck nodded his agreement and Mrs. Jenkins carefully cut off his undershirt.
"I do believe you're right, Abigail," said Mr. Jenkins.
"What do we do? I can't reset it," said Mrs. Jenkins.
"We'll tie his arm so he can't move it, and make him as comfortable as
possible 'til this storm passes. Then we take him into Sweetwater to Doc's,"
said Elias.
"That's okay, really," protested Buck. "I can just go back to
Emma's as soon as the rain stops. There's no need for you two to put yourselves
to so much trouble on my account. If you'll just tie it so I don't move it,
I'll be fine."
"Fine," said Elias.
"Elias Jenkins!" said Abigail.
"Let me finish , woman," said Elias. "Fine. You get yourself
dressed, your horse saddled, yourself mounted and we wave you on your way. If
you can't, you go with us to Doc's. We'll stop at Miss Shannon's and drop off
your stuff and let them know what happened. Agreed?"
"Agreed," said Buck.
Buck listened to the rain as if fell on the roof. Mrs. Jenkins gently tied
his arm to his body. He knew there was no way he was riding off on his own.
As she tied the bandage around him, Buck felt a pain in his side that he knew
all to well. He'd hurt more than his shoulder. He'd felt this other pain before
on the many occasions that others had cause to beat him simply for being different.
"Ribs hurt too, don't they, Son?" asked Mr. Jenkins.
Buck nodded.
"Thought so. You get whatever rest you can. I promise we'll get you to
Doc as soon as we can. Most likely won't be 'til morning from the sound of this
rain."
"Thank you," said Buck.
"Ain't done nothin' yet," said Elias.
"You didn't throw me out," said Buck "Lot's of people would."
"Why?" asked Abigail as she returned to the room bringing each man
a warm cup of tea.
"Because of me being part Indian," said Buck.
"Oh," said Abigail. "I thought maybe you were a wanted criminal
or something. I didn't realize being of mixed blood was a problem. "Think
we should worry, Elias?"
"Never worried about it before. Don't see any reason to start now. Good
Lord says to help those needs helpin'. Boy here needs help - we help. Simple
as that," said Elias.
"Anyway," said Buck, "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Son," said Elias. "You're welcome.
After they finished their tea, Buck lay back to try and rest. Mrs. Jenkins
looked at him and then at her husband. "Reminds you of Horrace at that
age, don't he?"
"He most surely does," replied her husband.
As the rain continued to beat down on the roof of the bunk house, Emma worried.
Buck should have been back before now. He'd left shortly after lunch yesterday.
"What's wrong?" asked Lou.
"Nothing," replied Emma, returning to cleaning up after breakfast.
"Worried about who?" persisted Lou.
Emma smiled, "Buck. He should have been back by now. Doesn't take that
long to ride over to the Jenkins' and back."
"Probably decided to help out," said Kid. "Got caught . He's
waiting out the storm. You'll see."
"I hope so. Just feels like something's gone wrong," replied Emma.
"Think Ike agrees with me."
The three of them looked at Ike who was standing at the door looking down the
road towards the Jenkins homestead.
Lou went to him, "Even if something's wrong we can't do anything 'til
this rain has let up."
Ike nodded, and closed the door. As soon as the rain stopped, Ike headed towards
the barn. He quickly saddled his horse. Emma followed, "Ike, wait! Give
him a little while. Let's go set up a room in the house just in case we're right.
Then you can go looking."
Ike led his horse to the main house, and tied it out front. The two of them
went inside and began fixing up the extra bedroom. They had just finished as
the Jenkins rode in.
Abigail pulled the horses to a stop. Elias was sitting in the back holding
Buck's head, talking gently to him. Ike was by his side in an instant.
"He got hurt helpin' us lock up before the storm hit," explained
Abigail. "We promised we'd stop by here to drop off his things before taking
him to Doc's."
<Let me get Doc and bring him here,>signed Ike.
"No," said Lou. "I'll go get Doc. You stay here with Buck. He'll
feel better with you here."
Lou took Ike's horse and headed into town.
"Let's get him inside," said Emma.
Elias gently worked Buck to the back of the buck board. "He was doing
okay 'til about midnight, then the fever took over. Think it's just because
of the pain, but I could be wrong. Feel pretty sure that once his shoulder's
fixed he'll be better."
Ike gently carried Buck inside the house and lay him on the freshly made bed.
Emma and Mrs. Jenkins set about making him as comfortable as they could.
Lou arrived shortly with the doctor. He quickly checked Buck over and set his
shoulder. He then waited to see if this helped with Buck's temperature.
Shortly after this Buck was able to explain what happened. As he started to apologize once again for the trouble he caused, Elias Jenkins cut him off.
"Weren't your fault, Boy. There's a kink in that pulley system or somethin.
Putting the lousy bale of hay up there's how I busted my arm. Soon as I'm better,
I'm taking the whole thing apart and reworking it. It's us should be apologizing
for gettin' you hurt. Now hush up and let Doc here tend to you."
Buck smiled at the old man."Yes, sir," he said and sat up so the
doctor could check him over.
"Looks like they fixed you up pretty good," said Doc.
"Yes, sir," replied Buck.
"I'm going to take these wraps off so I can rewrap them and take care
of your arm as well. I'm going to basically just tie your arm next to your body
for a few days. Your arm should be good enough to use in two, three days. Your
ribs are going to be sore a bit longer."
Buck nodded. He knew from experience about the ribs. "How long before
I can get back to work?" he asked.
"If your arm heals like I think, you can do jobs around the station by
the end of the week. Don't want you making any runs for about a month. Those
ribs need time to heal. Probably do some light riding in a week or two,"
said Doc as he finished wrapping Buck's chest and arm.
As the doctor tied the bandages into place, Buck let out a low moan. Ike was
at his side quickly. "It's okay," said the doctor. "The worst
is over. All we've got to do now is get him comfortable."
With Ike's help, Buck was soon lying back in the bed. "I can leave something
for the pain if you like," said Doc as he packed.
"No," said Buck.
"Didn't think so," said Doc and left to give Emma instructions. As
he was leaving, Teaspoon came riding up with a strange man.
"Where's Buck? Who's hurt?" he asked.
"Inside here, and Buck's hurt," answered Emma.
"What happened?" asked Teaspoon.
"Got caught in the storm and knocked around by the wind," explained
Emma looking past Teaspoon at the man who rode in with him.
"What do you need him for? He's trying to rest."
"This here's Jeremiah Cutler. He's trying to find his son," explained
Teaspoon.
As the others all glared at both men, Teaspoon continued. "Seems his story
is a bit different than the one Buck was told. Figured it wouldn't do no harm
for Buck to hear him out. Mr. Cutler's agreed that if Buck don't want him around
after listening to his version, he leaves town to never bother us again."
"Not now," said Emma. "Doc just finished putting his shoulder
back together. The poor boy's worn-out. Let him rest and you can see him after
supper."
"Thank you, M'am," said Cutler. He was going to have to be really
careful. The rest of this group wasn't going to be as easy to fool as this old
man had been. This story had to hold together. He hoped he'd learned it well
enough.
